I have not been writing for several months because I was thinking there is nothing interesting to write about my life. However many of my friends have asked me to write further.Many of them have never been in Helsinki not even in Finland, which gives me an opportunity to describe or report my city and my life here.
First of all, having visited so many places all over in the world on my last
journey and on many shorter or longer trips before, it has become clear to me that Helsinki will stay my hometown the rest of my life. I love to visit foreign countries and places but I am always happy to return here. There are cities like Hong Kong, Munich, Malaga etc. where I do have a lot of personal history with beautiful memories and unforgetable romancies, but Helsinki, where I was born in 1940, is my home.
Helsinki,which is often called " The White City of the North" or " The Daughter of Baltic Sea",was established year 1550 by the Swedish King Gustaf Wasa. That time until year 1809 Finland was a Swedish province. Russia did conquer Finland that year, and Finland became a grand duchy of Russia until year 1917, when strong hopes for independency finally were fullfilled. Meanwhile since year 1812 Helsinki had become the Capital of Finland, and Finnish an official language, instead of just Swedish and Russian.
Nowadays Helsinki is a modern cosmopolitan city with about 560,000 inhabitants(with neighborhood sleeping cities a metropoly of one million), surrounded by the sea and with many beautiful parks. The cultural life is very vivid all around the year with many international stars and celebrities visiting here. Only recently Celine Dion and Bruce Springsteen had their concerts here. Today Neil Young will fill an ice hockey
stadium, and soon we'll experience the visits of Mariza, Juanes, Leonard Cohen, Gloria Gaynor, Deep Purple and Moody Blues. A couple of days ago I listened Kris Kristofferson in the concert hall of Finlandia House.
Last week I was controlled by the doctors, and my heart was found fine, almost normal already. This means that I shall start to plan new adventures abroad, but not one year long ones anymore.
This summer here has been partly sunny and warm partly rainy and some degrees cooler but I have enjoyed my easy life here. Only once I took a speed boat to Tallinn in neighborhood Estonia to have lunch with two charming native ladies Sgrid and Kadri, my former business partners. In 5-Star Hotel Telegraf, in Tsaikovsky Restaurant I did enjoy one of the best meals and service of all my life. I can highly recommend this place to anybody.
Well, there is now nothing going on in my love life. The wings of my romance last year could not carry it anymore over long distancies, faraway places and the time.
I shall in future time to time write my diary. You are wellcome to make questions and I am always happy to get greetings. And do remember, should you come to visit Helsinki, I happen to be a very good guide!
Friday, August 8, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Those last three weeks at home in Helsinki
There were about 20 friends of mine, waiting for my arrival at one of my favourit restaurants, Elite in Helsinki. At least 10 more called me and did regret not to participate because of late evening in the middle of the working week. Anyhow it was a happy evening, which did continue in another bar with six of us until maybe 2am.
During the next days my cough got worse, and I finally did go to a doctor. Well, I had
Pneunomia without fever, but what was much worse, I had a very serious heart failure , it did work with only 50% efficiency, and I was immediately sent to the hospital.
They kept me in the hospital for eight days before letting me go back home. Now I am taking everything very easy, having daily a strong medicine program, diet and no beers no alcohol for next six months. Once in a week they will examine me to see the healing
progress. What a luck, that this everything was just found out when happily back home after a great tour. We'll see, those daily walks with my little dog Victor, a Bison Friche, will certainly help to recover. Nobody knows if totally. Anyhow my mood is fine and optimistic. That's life! I'll keep you informed.
During the next days my cough got worse, and I finally did go to a doctor. Well, I had
Pneunomia without fever, but what was much worse, I had a very serious heart failure , it did work with only 50% efficiency, and I was immediately sent to the hospital.
They kept me in the hospital for eight days before letting me go back home. Now I am taking everything very easy, having daily a strong medicine program, diet and no beers no alcohol for next six months. Once in a week they will examine me to see the healing
progress. What a luck, that this everything was just found out when happily back home after a great tour. We'll see, those daily walks with my little dog Victor, a Bison Friche, will certainly help to recover. Nobody knows if totally. Anyhow my mood is fine and optimistic. That's life! I'll keep you informed.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Great hospitality in Germany
After warm goodbyes with Karin last Thursday in Lüneburg, her husband Heinz-Jürgen Pohl drove me to Krummesse / Lübeck ,where I did introduce him to another old friends Georges and Antje Roeder. We soon had again German delicacies infront of us with beautiful drinks.
I stayed at Roeder's until Saturday. We then drove to Bad Oldesloe enjoying in a very
nice place an excellent roastbeef lunch, before I took a train to Bremen via Hamburg.
There was Peter Gloystein waiting for me. We soon had a couple of pints in our hands
to change the last travel news, also from their side, because he had made together with his his wife Jean an exiting trip for 14 days to North Pole and to Franz Josef Land recently, with a Russian nuclear icebroker.
Yesterday we drove to Bremerhafen , which city was shown to me with it's magnificient harbour, including "Seemannskneipe" sailors pub."Last stop before New York!" Afterwards a fine dinner at a country side restaurant, before ready to bed.
I still like to thank all three families here in North Germany for their great and warm hospitality. But I must not forget my dear friends in British Virgin Islands, North Carolina, Melbourne, Cold Coast, Kuala Lumpur and Cape Town without great thanks.
Tomorrow I'll fly back to Finland after being on this adventure one year and three days.
I stayed at Roeder's until Saturday. We then drove to Bad Oldesloe enjoying in a very
nice place an excellent roastbeef lunch, before I took a train to Bremen via Hamburg.
There was Peter Gloystein waiting for me. We soon had a couple of pints in our hands
to change the last travel news, also from their side, because he had made together with his his wife Jean an exiting trip for 14 days to North Pole and to Franz Josef Land recently, with a Russian nuclear icebroker.
Yesterday we drove to Bremerhafen , which city was shown to me with it's magnificient harbour, including "Seemannskneipe" sailors pub."Last stop before New York!" Afterwards a fine dinner at a country side restaurant, before ready to bed.
I still like to thank all three families here in North Germany for their great and warm hospitality. But I must not forget my dear friends in British Virgin Islands, North Carolina, Melbourne, Cold Coast, Kuala Lumpur and Cape Town without great thanks.
Tomorrow I'll fly back to Finland after being on this adventure one year and three days.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Swakopmund, Namibia
On Wednesday I took a bus to Swakopmund. It is a small but pretty mostly German city, on the Atlantic coast of Namibia. The ride lasted about four hours. Afterwards strolling for some hours there around I practically knew the whole town.
I knew that on Thursday there would arrive a group of five brave Finnish hunters from the bushes, lead by my neighbour and friend Mr. Jaakko Lehto, a very experienced hunter himself. After their arrival, it started to rain gin tonics, their mood was very high after a good hunting success of 21 animals. I spent the next day with the group too, having a lunch trip to Walvis Bay, but with a little less drinks. On Saturday they had their flight back to Europe, and I was invited to travel with their car back to Windhoek. We there had a late lunch before they left to the airport, and I went back to my previous Hotel Steiner, where I had left most of my gears. As I had had almost all the time in Cape Town the same taxi, so did I have in Windhoek. Francois 32, of French origin was always ready to bring me to or pick me up from anywhere anytime. After I introduced him to the manager of the hotel as a very reliable partner to work, he gave me 50 % discount in every fare. The hotel was very happy, telling me that they all the time were in constant need of reliable taxis.
My friend again said he needs more business to buy two more taxis still this year to extend his fleet to four cars. His dream was to have in few years time 20 cars, many of all terrain vehicles.
I still spent two lazy days there, before having my last long flight on this journey from Windhoek to Frankfurt am Main, to where I landed yesterday morning. I then took a ICE train to Lüneburg via Hannover. Excatly at 1pm I met my very longtime friend Heinz-Jürgen (since 1962) and was brought to his home, where his wife Karin, his daughter Kristina and grandchildren Annika 7 and Tom 2.5 were waiting for me.
And we had a very pleasant evening with good food and drinks. Today Karin managed to create the most wonderful turkey with red cabbage, potatoes and delicious sauce.
I do not remember, if I ever had a better bird to eat.
Tomorrow Heinz-Jürgen will drive me to Lübeck to meet another old friends Antje and Georges. I know Antje since we both were 17!
By the way, the Trophy, which I saw in Kuala Lumpur under finishing process, was brought to Finland by Kimi Raikkonen last Sunday, as I did then wish.
I knew that on Thursday there would arrive a group of five brave Finnish hunters from the bushes, lead by my neighbour and friend Mr. Jaakko Lehto, a very experienced hunter himself. After their arrival, it started to rain gin tonics, their mood was very high after a good hunting success of 21 animals. I spent the next day with the group too, having a lunch trip to Walvis Bay, but with a little less drinks. On Saturday they had their flight back to Europe, and I was invited to travel with their car back to Windhoek. We there had a late lunch before they left to the airport, and I went back to my previous Hotel Steiner, where I had left most of my gears. As I had had almost all the time in Cape Town the same taxi, so did I have in Windhoek. Francois 32, of French origin was always ready to bring me to or pick me up from anywhere anytime. After I introduced him to the manager of the hotel as a very reliable partner to work, he gave me 50 % discount in every fare. The hotel was very happy, telling me that they all the time were in constant need of reliable taxis.
My friend again said he needs more business to buy two more taxis still this year to extend his fleet to four cars. His dream was to have in few years time 20 cars, many of all terrain vehicles.
I still spent two lazy days there, before having my last long flight on this journey from Windhoek to Frankfurt am Main, to where I landed yesterday morning. I then took a ICE train to Lüneburg via Hannover. Excatly at 1pm I met my very longtime friend Heinz-Jürgen (since 1962) and was brought to his home, where his wife Karin, his daughter Kristina and grandchildren Annika 7 and Tom 2.5 were waiting for me.
And we had a very pleasant evening with good food and drinks. Today Karin managed to create the most wonderful turkey with red cabbage, potatoes and delicious sauce.
I do not remember, if I ever had a better bird to eat.
Tomorrow Heinz-Jürgen will drive me to Lübeck to meet another old friends Antje and Georges. I know Antje since we both were 17!
By the way, the Trophy, which I saw in Kuala Lumpur under finishing process, was brought to Finland by Kimi Raikkonen last Sunday, as I did then wish.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Windhoek, Namibia
I've been here now for three days, but I do not have anything special to report. Exept all people here like in Cape Town too. not depending of the colour of the skin ,are very friendly, happy and equipped with good humor sense,and this city of some 280,000 inhabitants is very clean and safe too.
Tomorrow I'll go for a couple of days to Swakopmund ,then back here on Friday before heading to Germany on Monday, March 25.
First time on the whole trip I have been fighting against the flu, but I'll win, without any days in bed and without fever, just an unpleasant cough, which tries not to leave me alone.
Tomorrow I'll go for a couple of days to Swakopmund ,then back here on Friday before heading to Germany on Monday, March 25.
First time on the whole trip I have been fighting against the flu, but I'll win, without any days in bed and without fever, just an unpleasant cough, which tries not to leave me alone.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Cape Town, South Africa
I stayed in Johannesburg one night and two days in a very comfortable Safari Club Resort near Airport. I could not get anymore a round trip to Pretoria and Jburg.
So I relaxed at the pool or at the bar. The bar was very cozy, made African style with big TV screen and library. There was no bar tender and I was in that luxurious surrounding the only customer. The reception just advised me to write down the drinks I did consume. Everything, beer,scotch, brandy, rum or coke coasted R12 that's less than one Euro. Only a bottle of good red wine did coast about 6e. You can believe that liked that bar, especially because I poured drinks to myself according Finnish measurements, I did not know South African ones, and forgot to ask.
I had been advised by my friend Heikki Tuunanen, the Ambassador of Finland to contact
a young Finnish lady Jesse Maarit Laitinen after my arrival to Cape Town. So I did, She asked me to come directly from the airport with a taxi to a given address. There was somebody's birthday party, all local Finns, except one Norwegian wife of a Finnish reporter. A wonderful evening. After that Jesse drove me to my accommodation.
I have had a wonderful time here, walking a lot, seeing a lot and enjoying my times especially at The Waterfront Marina with many jazz bars and inexpensive drinks.
However it is always told to you that after dark you need to take a taxi back home,
even if away just a short walking distance.
So I relaxed at the pool or at the bar. The bar was very cozy, made African style with big TV screen and library. There was no bar tender and I was in that luxurious surrounding the only customer. The reception just advised me to write down the drinks I did consume. Everything, beer,scotch, brandy, rum or coke coasted R12 that's less than one Euro. Only a bottle of good red wine did coast about 6e. You can believe that liked that bar, especially because I poured drinks to myself according Finnish measurements, I did not know South African ones, and forgot to ask.
I had been advised by my friend Heikki Tuunanen, the Ambassador of Finland to contact
a young Finnish lady Jesse Maarit Laitinen after my arrival to Cape Town. So I did, She asked me to come directly from the airport with a taxi to a given address. There was somebody's birthday party, all local Finns, except one Norwegian wife of a Finnish reporter. A wonderful evening. After that Jesse drove me to my accommodation.
I have had a wonderful time here, walking a lot, seeing a lot and enjoying my times especially at The Waterfront Marina with many jazz bars and inexpensive drinks.
However it is always told to you that after dark you need to take a taxi back home,
even if away just a short walking distance.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Back in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
My last week at Langasuka Resort was lazy and relaxing, me enjoying Mario Puzo's novel "The Last Don" with cold beers on the beach. Sometimes I had the company of Jacek 34. He is a Polish TV reporter on a vacation there with his wife and daughter.
Mostly very warm sunny days but one rainy too,with a very heavy thunder storm just above us.
I had bought the book at the Langkawi airport, and after reading it the most pages as well as the cover were loose. On Monday before my flight to KL I managed to change it at the airport's book store without any problems to another Mario Puzo's novel " The Sicilian".
My new friends John and Carol had invited me to visit them here in KL, and I delightfully had accepted it. In the first evening John took me to his private K Club, where I had a jolly good time with him and his many friends. Afterwards we had a marvellous dinner. Carol had prepared an excellent lamb dish for us , and we ate it all with some good red vine. Th next day John and another of his friends David took me to Genting Highlands. After one hours drive trough beautiful landscapes, we arrived to Asia's longest, 2,4 km cable car route up to the mountains, where the Genting casino world is. It took 12 minutes in small condola partly high over the rain forest to reach the top over the clouds. Yesterday noon we first visited with both John and Carol the Chinatown having a light lunch there with two jugs of Carsberg beer and later we went to Royal Selangor Pewter factory, where we could see
among other interesting things them making the Trophy of Formula 1 Grand Prix of Malaysia. Hopefully this will be brought to Finland by Kimi Raikkonen or Heikki Kovalainen on March 23. In the evening we had first some drinks at David's place, with his ex wife Eva ,originally from Brno in current Czech Republic, before having another excellent meal at Suzi's Corner Restaurant.Today we spent three hours in the nearby Negara Zoo, where we had great fun especially with a 3 years old Orang utang and with some acrobatic gibbon apes, which arranged a special show to us.
Tonight I shall fly to Johannesburg but before that I can once again enjoy Carol's fantastic cooking.
Mostly very warm sunny days but one rainy too,with a very heavy thunder storm just above us.
I had bought the book at the Langkawi airport, and after reading it the most pages as well as the cover were loose. On Monday before my flight to KL I managed to change it at the airport's book store without any problems to another Mario Puzo's novel " The Sicilian".
My new friends John and Carol had invited me to visit them here in KL, and I delightfully had accepted it. In the first evening John took me to his private K Club, where I had a jolly good time with him and his many friends. Afterwards we had a marvellous dinner. Carol had prepared an excellent lamb dish for us , and we ate it all with some good red vine. Th next day John and another of his friends David took me to Genting Highlands. After one hours drive trough beautiful landscapes, we arrived to Asia's longest, 2,4 km cable car route up to the mountains, where the Genting casino world is. It took 12 minutes in small condola partly high over the rain forest to reach the top over the clouds. Yesterday noon we first visited with both John and Carol the Chinatown having a light lunch there with two jugs of Carsberg beer and later we went to Royal Selangor Pewter factory, where we could see
among other interesting things them making the Trophy of Formula 1 Grand Prix of Malaysia. Hopefully this will be brought to Finland by Kimi Raikkonen or Heikki Kovalainen on March 23. In the evening we had first some drinks at David's place, with his ex wife Eva ,originally from Brno in current Czech Republic, before having another excellent meal at Suzi's Corner Restaurant.Today we spent three hours in the nearby Negara Zoo, where we had great fun especially with a 3 years old Orang utang and with some acrobatic gibbon apes, which arranged a special show to us.
Tonight I shall fly to Johannesburg but before that I can once again enjoy Carol's fantastic cooking.
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